Pressure regulator for sizing devices



Nov. 5, 1940. H. E. BALslGER 2,220,470

PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR SIZING DEVICES Filed March l5, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l inwum BY/ mgm@ ATTORNEY Nov. 5, 1940.

H. E. BALSIGER PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR SIZING DEVICES FE E Filed March 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 J S l l ENTOR HAR oLn EBnLslfR ATTORN EY Patented Nov. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES.

PRESSURE REGULATOR FOR SIZING DEVICES Harold E. Balsger, Waynesboro, Pa., assignor to Landis Tool Company, Waynesboro, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 13, 1936, Serial No. 68,776

1 Claim.

My invention relates to regulating devices for fluid under pressure and particularly for pneumatic size control mechanisms and it is an object of the same to provide means whereby the pressure of the air supply maybe maintained constant within very narrow limits.

A further object is to provide a diaphragm for said pressure regulator constructed to obtain maximum wearing qualities.

A further object is to provide resilient valve guides for the valve portion of said pressure regulator.

A further object is to combine in asingle device means for controlling fluctuations in uid under pressure Within predetermined limits.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my pressure regulating device.

Figure 2 is an end view of a grinding machine showing the method of mounting the pressure regulator thereon..

Figure 3 is an inverted plan view showing the resilient valve guides.

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross section of the diaphragm showing the construction thereof.

Figure 6 is a sectional front elevation of my improved pressure indicating device.

Figure 7 is a sectional end elevation along the line 'I--l of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a partial sectional plan view showing the construction of the Venturi arrangement.

Previous devices used for the purpose of regulating low pressure fluid supplies had the disadvantage of not being capable of regulating the pressure Within close enough limits to satisfy the requirements of accuracy demanded. In order to satisfy these requirements it was necessary to provide a valve which would respond to very small variations in pressure. Such a valve must necessarily be light in weight and must open and close with a minimum of friction. The question of Weight could be solved by using the lightest practical material and in designing the parts to use a minimum of such material. The question of friction was met by making the diaphragm of exible, non-resilient material, using a at valve seat to eliminate any friction from rubbing or sticky surfaces, :and guiding the valve lto its seat by resilient guide strips which are attached to the valve in the manner of a cantilever.

Under a 20% change in volume of air supplied to the regulator, the pressure will change less than one-thousandth of an ounce per square inch.

With the best previous type of regulation which could be obtained, even after new parts were made of special materials, the variation in pressure was one-eighth of an ounce per square inch or onehundred-twenty-five times less accurate than applicants device My device consists of an inner shell I0 and an outer shell II cast integrally. The space I3 between said shells extends around the entire inner shell except for a portion I 4 which forms a connection 'between the shells and thru 10 which a passage I5 extends to the bottom thereof. Said passage is open at the top to space I3. A filtering substance I6 lls the upper portion of the space between said shells. Both shells are open at the top. A cover I 8 secured to said inner 15 shell forms an air tight closure for the space between the shells. Said cover has an .opening I9 therein which coincides with the opening 20 in the inner shell. A removable cover or lid 2l closes said `opening I 9. The lower portion of hole 20 20 in shell I Il is threaded to receive a plug 22. A small hole 23 is drilled thru said plug. Space I3 is closed off at the bottom except for the passage I5. Inside the inner shell I 0 is formed a chamber 24. Across the lower end of said 25 chamber is secured a diaphragm 25 of flexible non-resilient material. Said diaphragm is held in place by a ring like member 26 attached to the lower side of said shells. The passage I5 is continued thru said member 26 and extends radi- 30 ally toward the inside thereof. A lower cover portion 21 is secured to said ring. A valve seat portion 2B is inserted in said cover. As shown in Figure 1, the diameter, and hence the area of the opening of said valve seat is relatively large 35 considering the volume of air .to be handled. The reason for this is that excess air must be removed quickly so as not to affect the pressure at the outlet 38. The minute fluctuations in the air supply to which the diaphragm must re-aci'l will 40 produce a correspondingly minute movement of the diaphragm and of the valve 25. 'I'his minute movement must produce a change in the opening between the valve and the valve seat to provide a free outlet for the excess air. A valve 45 29 has a portion 30 adapted to engage said seat and a larger portion 3l secured to the diaphragm 25 by means of a screw 32 in a disk 33 on the opposite side of said diaphragm. Said screw passes thru said diaphragm into a threaded hole 50 in valve 29. Said valve is held against the seat by a spring 34 inside shell I0. One end of said spring bears .against a shoulder in the upper portion of the inner shell, .the other end against said disk 33. Movement ofthe valve 29 is guided by 55 a pair of at springs 36 as well as by diaphragm 25, thus insuring a substantially straight line motion of said valve since each of said elements prevents lateral movement of the valve and permits axial movement only. Said springs are arranged in substantially vparallel relation in the same horizontal plane. One end of each spring is secured to lugs 36 on valve 29. The other end of each of said springs is attached to the ring like element 26. Since valve 29 rests on a at seat and is actuated and guided by the diaphragm 25, andthe springs 35, respectively, and since the only friction is #the internal friction of the material of the diaphragm, guide strips, and spring, it is obvious that a relatively small impulse will actuate same. Chamber 24 is lled with a liquid, 'preferably oil to a level just below the cover 2|. Air or other iluid under pressure of pump 15 enters space I3 from line 31, passes thru the iiltering substance I6, then thru passage I to the opening formed by ring 26. From here it passes thru line 38 to the sizing device. A slight iluctuation in the air pressure acts against ,the diaphragm `to lift valve 29 o its seat and thus release the excess pressure. This movement of the valve is dampened by the iiuid in shell III, the movement oi said iluid being restricted by the size of the hole 23. A valve is inserted in said outer casing II, in a position near the I-bottom of the space I3. Another valve 1I is mounted in the chamber surrounding the valve 29. When said valves are open the iiuid under pressure which passes into space I3 is effective to remove any dirt which has 'collected therein.

Air under pressure is supplied to my device from line 31 through a iiltering medium I6 and from there through passage I5 :to a chamber in the lower portion of the device in which the valve 29 is mounted. As soon as air reaches this chamber the pressure is eiective through diaphragm 25 to lift said valve a slight amount which is determined by the force of spring 34. If for any reason the volume of air passing through my device increasesmomentarily the valve will be opened wider to permit the escape of any excess over the normal volume. If the supply of air decreases momentarily the valve will be permitted to move toward a closed position whereby to prevent a drop in pressure. After passing through the valve chamber the air is discharged through a line 38 which directs it to any device connected thereto which requires a uniform air supply within very narrow limits.

The pressure switch disclosed in Figures 6, 7

.and 8 is a more compact unit than was formerly used in devices of this kind. It consists of a block 50 in which are drilled three vertical holes 5I, 52 and 53. These holes are connected by a horizontal passage 54 near the lower end of the block.

In each of the holes 5I and 53 are mounted conductors 55 and 56 respectively, which are aadjustable lengthwise thereof. The lower portion of the holes 5I, 52 and 53 and all of the passage 54 contain a body of electrically conductive iluid preferably mercury. This iluid is introducedthru an opening 51. A cap 58 is provided to close said 5 opening after the uid has been added.

Air under pressure enters block 68 thru passage 38 and leaves by passage 40. Air reaches passage 40 thru a restricted passage 59. Said passage 59 is connected to a larger opening in 10 block 50 into which is inserted a plug 60. Said plug,has a restricted passage 6I. 'I'he inner end of said plug does not seat, against the bottom of the hole and is of slightly smaller diameter so -that there is a small space between the ends of passages 59 and 6I and a chamber 62 formed around the reduced portion of said plug. Another small passage 63 connects said chamber with bore 52. A cap 84 covers the opening to passage 38 and also plug 60 so as to provide a 80 passage for air between these points.

Contacts 55 and 56 are connected to lines 65 and 66. A third contact 61 is inserted in passage 54 and is a common line for the other two.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in my device without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I, therefore, do not limit myself to what is shown in the drawings and described in the speciilcation, but only as set forth in the 80 appended claim.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by 1 Letters Patent, is:

A regulator for maintaining a ilow of fluid through a line at a predetermined pressure comprising a casing having inlet and outlet passages therein, said casing having an escape passage at one side thereof and a valve seat associated with said escape passage, a nonresilient diaphragm at the opposite side of said casing from the escape passage, a valve fixed to said diaphragm and adapted to move toward and from said seat,

a spring acting on the diaphragm in opposition to the pressure in the casing for moving said valve toward the seat, resilient members attached to the casing at one side of the escape passage and connected to :the valve and cooperating with said diaphragm in guiding said valve in its movements relative to said seat, said spring being adjusted so that the valve moves out of contact with the seat when the fluid pressure on the outlet reaches the desired predetermined degree, said valve seat being large relative to the inlet volume whereby valve movements of a few thousandths of an inch in response to slight fluctuations in volume in the iiuid supply will produce relatively large changes, in the area of the opening to the escape passage and quickly vary the volume released and thereby maintain the pressure on the outlet at said predetermined degree.

' HAROLD E. BALSIGER. 

